An early start from the Lower Ure Valley yesterday morning saw my chauffeur John Gawthrope and I and take our seats in The Radcliffe Road Stand just before the start of play at Trent Bridge.
As this photo shows it was a cloudy morning but the forecast was for sunny spells which duly appeared after lunch. Not for the first time in recent weeks Yorkshire had done a spot of leather hunting on Tuesday and there was a feeling that this might continue in the morning session with Samit Patel the most danger. Our first chance to see Yorkshire's new pace bowler, Matthew Pillans, Durban born but who, via an ancestral visa does not count as overseas. Wicketless so far, but early days. Patel got Trent Bridge's excellent scoreboards moving but Milnes soon joined in the fun and games as the pair added 90 for the eighth wicket before another relative newcomer, Josh Poysden, broke the stand when he had Milnes lbw, after which he removed Patel with one of the worst balls you could wish to see as Samit holed out to Brooks at long leg. Cue muted celebrations and embarrassed look on young Josh's face.
All out for 448 on the stroke of noon leaving Yorkshire an awkward twenty minutes batting which we watched from the sanctuary of the pavilion bar and a chance to see another debutant, India born, New Zealand test player, opener Jeet Raval who survived until lunch which is more than could be said for Lyth who lasted just six balls before playing a poor shot and Brook had to put his meal back in the oven for ten minutes and join Raval who had started confidently.
My forecast for the afternoon was pessimistic, John's less so but we were both pleasantly surprised for after the early dismissal of Raval, Messrs Brook, Ballance and Kohler-Cadmore entertained us in full measure until we hit the road at 5:00.
Yorkshire prosper in the sun.
Ballance was in delightful form and we decided to marry our departure to his century, usually the kiss of death, but not on this occasion for a couple of fours took him to 99 before a single gave him a well deserved hundred. He had good support from KC who along with Tattersall will resume in about an hour from now, still with plenty of work to do but with Yorkshire in a position to at least save the match.
It is hard at this time of the season not to keep an eye or ear on what is happening elsewhere and thanks to Twitter this is easy to do. Good though Yorkshire's batting was yesterday afternoon the matches between Somerset and Lancashire and Worcestershire and Hampshire are crucial to what fare we might see at Headingley, Scarborough and possibly somewhere else next season and it was the former that seized our attention as Somerset found 78 a run too many and the championship had its first tie since 2003, Somerset's first since they tied with Worcestershire at Kidderminster in 1939 and Lancashire's first since Trevor Bailey predated Jack Leach and was caught off the bowling of Malcolm Hilton at Brentwood on June 24th 1952. Lancashire took 8 points, Essex 4, had the match been played a year later both teams would have been awarded six points.
After Taunton's remarkable events yesterday one is cautious to make predictions about what might happen today but I will stick my neck out and say that Worcestershire will lose to Hants sometime before lunch, a result which will increase the chances of second division cricket at New Road next season and send Hants above Lancashire, the latter having only two games left, the next of which is at Headingley on Monday. Forecast light cloud and moderate breeze and a small chance of rain. Should be fun.
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